Building unit



June 19, 1934. F Q KARTOWICZ 1,963,410

BUILDING UNIT Filed Nov. ll. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2.15 fg" 5' 26 /l /f f2 June 19, 1934. F. G. KARTowlcz BUILDING UNIT Filed Nov. 1l'. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 19, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to novel and improved building units of the type used in the construction of wood, steel or other material framed structures and more particularly is adapted for use in the construction of frame dwellings and small commercial buildings which may be of a permanent or temporary nature.

The type of building units referred to and which I intend to improve are generally of the wallboard type, a covering type such as, for example, plasterboard units; insulating units made of wood or vegetable pulp; units made up of cork, asphaltum, asbestos, or cement compositions; units made up of magnesite and wood compositions; units made up of aerated concrete or compositions of cement and sawdust; and units made up of plaster and gypsum compositions, as well as units made. up of other substances or compositions that may be suitable for this purpose.

Heretofore the covering used in frame constructed buildings were such as sheathing combined with Wood siding, or sheathing combined with lath and stucco for the outside of buildings and lath and plaster for the inside of buildings.

It is the main object of this invention to replace the coverings mentioned above for frame constructed buildings with my improved building unit, which unit may be more economically and easily manufactured and laid and secured in place by substantially unskilled labor, and will also permit of the elimination of insulating materials, thereby reducing the cost of labor and materials in the erection of a job.

It is to be noted that my improved unit is adapted cheily for covering frame constructed buildings, said units being relatively large and are not intended to serve as a load bearing building block or tile. In the case of frame constructed buildings in which the superstructure is first erected in skeleton form in the shape of frames properly braced and in which the wall or partition studs, as well as the floor joists and roof rafters are either of wood, steel, hollow metal, concrete or other suitable material, are usually spaced an accepted standard distance apart from one another. The most commonly used standard minimum spacing distance in the past and present day practice is a distance of 16" from center to center of studs or joists.

Another object of this invention is to base the construction and design of an elementary building unit upon this commonly used standard distance of 16", or a distance approximating this spacing distance and which may be accepted in the future as a standard distance.

A further object of this invention is to provide a building unit of the character described having a plurality of spaced ribs on one face thereof, said ribs being of equal depth and width, and projecting flanges provided beyond the 4end ribs, said 60 flanges being of equal width and the spacing between the ribs being equal to approximately twice the width of said flanges. l

A still further object oi this invention is t0 provide a building unit of the character described, which is adapted for use on frame buildings such as dwellings or the like, said unit being of light material and of a size adapted to t the standard spacing of studs, and when disposed in position on the frame structure will form an in 70 sulated wall of the non-load bearing type as well as a base for stucco or the like.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a building unit of the character described, having a body portion provided with a plurality of spaced ribs on one face thereof, the ends of said body portion projecting beyond the end ribs to form a pair of projecting flange portions, and a backing strip secured to said rib portions in such a manner as to form a dead air space between each of said ribs.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, Which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangements and combination of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be vmade without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

As stated generally, my improved construction of building units comprises a smooth finished, rough finished, textured, tooled or patterned face on a body portion of substantially rectangular shape and being approximately 1" in thickness.

On the back of said' body portion are provided the minimum number of ve equally spaced longitudinally disposed ribs, said ribs being coextensive in length with the vertical edge of said unit. The spaces between the ribs are to be of just suflicient size to accommodate a 2" stud. The ribs are to be approximately 1" x 1" when used 105 with studs of 2" x 4" size, and approximately 1' x 2" when used with studs of 2" x 6". The size of the said ribs are exclusive of the body thickness of the unit. The body. portion of the unit is to extend beyond the end ribs a distance equal to substantially one-half of the space provided between two intermediate ribs. This projecting flange is for the purpose of attaching the unit to the frame structure.

On the back of the ribs and extending across all of the spaces between ribs is attached a thin backing of sheet asbestos or building felt, or any other material that may be suitable for this purpose and which may be readily cut away between any pair of ribs to permit the disposition therebetween o-f any intermediate stud when such is necessary.

The ribs provided on the back of the body portion of the unit have the double purpose of adding to the rigidity of the unit and also for dividing the space between any pair of studs into a plurality of smaller spaces, which smaller spaces are completely enclosed by means of the backing sheet, thereby creating a plurality of small dead air spaces, rendering the unit of greater insulating value. The attachment of the flanges of the unit to the studs may be accomplished in several ways. For example, mastic cement may be applied on the inner face of the flanges and outer side of the end ribs and by reason of the close proximity of the end ribs to the framing studs a comparatively air-tight connection between the unit and studs will be obtained at their point of `iuncture. Obviously, if desired said units may be nailed or screwed to the studs and the joints covered with wood or metal strips, which strips may be properly caulked.

When my improved units are used to span and cover the distances between studs and are used on the outside and inside of a frame structured wall formed of either the 2 x li" studs or the 2" x 6" studs, there will be an approximate 2" space between the backs on the oppositely disposed units, which space will be of suilicient size to accommodate any bracing that is required for the rigidity of the framed structure without in any way interfering with the ribs or the backs of the units.

It is the purpose of this invention to make the units as large as size in width and height as is practical from the standpoint of manufacture and ease in handling. Adso, to accommodate the design of the exterior and interior walls with reference to story heights, window heights and so on. For that reason the units may be manufactured in several convenient heights, and in widths ranging from the elementary unit having a minimum of flve ribs to multiples of this minimum. Thus, for example, if a double unit is used the same would cover a distance of 32" between studs and would have a minimum of 10 ribs. The backing provided on such a double unit would cover the spaces between the 5 end ribs thereof, leaving the center space between the ribs uncovered for accommodating a stud, since the unit would be of a size sufficient to span two spacings of studs. Similarly, if a unit adapted for covering a spacing of 48" is used, the same would have a minimum of 15 ribs with the spaces between the 5th and 6th ribs and 10th and 11th ribs being left uncovered for accommodating the studs, as a unit of this size would be sucient in size to cover three spacings of studs.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its-mode of construction, and

many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar characters of reference are employed to indicate coresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a building unit embodying the principles of my invention;

Figure 2 is a similar view of the same unit showing a backing strip attached thereto for completely enclosing the spaces between the ribs;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of a unit embodying the principles of my invention, the same being of a size substantially twice the size of the elementary unit;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of the unit similar to the one shown in Figure 3, but having ribs of a larger depth for accommodating therebetween of a 2" x 6" stud;

Figure 5 is a sectional view through a fragmentary portion ofa wall illustrating the use of my improved unit as a covering for both the inside and outside of the stud framing;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of a fragmentary portion of a floor constructed with my improved units, said figure illustrating also the use of the same for a ceiling covering;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of a. fragmentary portion of a dividing partition constructed with my improved units;

Figure 8 is a vertical section taken at the upper portion of a dividing partition showing how the said units are attached at the ceiling line.

Figure 9 is a cross sectional View of a fragmentary portion of an outside wall or an inside partition showing the use of my improved units on one side of the stud frame with other covering on the opposite side.

Figure 10 is a cross sectional view through a fragmentary portion of a concrete floor construction showing the use of my improved unit as a nished ceiling between concrete joists;

Figure 11 is a cross sectional view of a fragmentary portion of a wall showing the use of my improved units with a frame constructed of steel or metal studs;

Figure 12 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of a fragmentary portion of a wall at its junction with a fioor, said view being taken between a pair of joists;

Figure 13 is a horizontal cross sectional view of a fragmentary portion of a wall taken on line 13-13 of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a view in perspective of a fragmentary portionv of a wall showing a partial assembly of units on a frame constructed of studs suitably braced; and

Figure 15 is a view in elevation of a completed building showing the arrangement and assembly of my improved units on the outside thereof.

Referring to the drawings more specifically by characters of reference, the numeral 18 designates generally my improved building unit, which may be constructed from any suitable material or composition of materials, such for example as magnesite and wood shavings, asphaltum and crushed rock, composition of asbestos, wood or paper pulp, plaster compositions, gypsum, cork, mastic compositions, glass, hollow metal and the like. units is depended upon the use to which the same is to be put and also Whether the same is tc be used for outside or inside covering.

It is to be understood that the said units may be manufactured either by hand, in a single The material used in the formation of my block machine, or in an auger machine, producing units in a continuous stream, and are susceptible of being molded equally well in clay, concrete or similar materials. As the manufacture of the unit and the material from which it is made forms no part of the present invention it is not thought necessary to describe the same in more detail.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the unit 18 comprises a body portion 19, which may have a preferred thickness of approximately 1". The outer face of said body portion 19 may be smooth or rough, g'rooved, textured or patterned. On the back of this body portion 19 are provided a plurality of equally spaced longitudinal ribs 20, said ribs are to be five in number for the elementary unit and are to be preferably of the size approximately 1" x 1". This size of rib is adapted for use with 2" x 4" studs. When it is desired to use the said unit with 2" x 6" studs the said ribs 4should be preferably approximately 1" x 2". This size of ribs is, of course, exclusive of body thickness.

'I'he ribs 20 may be cast with the body portion 19 from the same material, or they may be made separately of other material such for example as oi' wood or hollow metal rectangular shapes and A then attached in any suitable manner to the body portion 19. The body portion 19 projects beyond the end ribs to form a flange portion 21 at each side of the unit. The said flange portions are the means by which the said units may be attached to the framing studs 22, or the oor joists 23, which may be of any suitable material such for example as of wood, hollow metal, steel or concrete, or the like.

A suitable backing sheet of a material such as asbestos, felt or fibre board is provided for said unit, said sheet being designated by the reference character 25 and is adapted to be rigidly secured to the rear faces of the ribs 20 in such a manner as to completely enclose the spaces provided between any two ribs. This backing sheet 25 may be apprbximately 1/8" in thickness and is adapted to bejreadily cut away between any pair of ribs whenever necessary for the purpose of accommodating an additional stud or for the purpose of accommodating any conduits or pipes.

A minimum number of ve ribs are designed for an 'elementary unit, which unit is adapted to span a pair of studs or joists which are spaced from each other approximately 16 from center to center. The ribs 20 are equally spaced from each other and form between them the spaces 26, which spaces are of a width approximately twice that of the distance from the end rib to the outer edge of the ange 21. These spaces 26 are of such a size as to readily accommodate therein a stud or joist as clearly shown in Figures 5, 6 and 14 of the drawings.

If desired the number of ribs provided on the elementary unit may be increased to a larger number and their thickness reduced, thereby still maintaining the spaces 26 of sufficient width to readily receive therein a 2" wide stud. Also, should the elementary unit be designed to span a distance greater than 16 from center to center of studs, the thickness of the body portion and of the rib portions would increase and a minimum of 5 ribs could still be maintained with the spaces 26 between ribs being proportionately larger and thus capable of housing a stud of a wider dimension than the 2 width previously stated. This may some times be necessary in the case of concrete stud frame construction.

In the illustration shown in Figure 14 my improved unit is employed for the construction of the wall, said unit being used on both the inside and outside of said wall. As it will be apparent from the illustration, this unit does not carry any of the load as the same is carried by the studs 22 and the bracing members 28. In theillustration shown the studs 22 arereceived within a space between the two adjacent ribs 20 and the braces 28 are received in the space between the backs of the oppositely disposed units. By providing the backing strips 25 it will be noted that a series of dead air spaces are formed in the units, thereby producing a wall having the maximum insulating value. The illustration in Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view of a wall constructed in accordance with the illustration shown in Figure 14, the same showing a finishing strip 38 which may be of wood, metal, or the like for covering up the joints between two adjacent units. It should be apparent from this view that a unit having a minimum number of 5 ribs or multiples thereof may be satisfactorily employed, the backing strip being out away at those points where the spaces 26 are to receive the studs 22.

In the illustration shown in Figure 6 my improved unit is employed for spanning the floor joists 23, in which case these units serve the purpose of a sub-floor. It is to be understood that when used for this purpose said units should be made of a material which should be of sufficientj strength and sufliciently reinforced to carry the load that may be placed thereon. The tops of the joists 23 may be covered with a felt strip 29, or any other suitable material, and the flanges 21 of the units be permitted to rest on said felt strips. Owing to the proximity of the end ribs to the joists, the units will need no attachment to the joists, except perhaps filling up of the joists between units with some suitable substance such as mastic cement or the like. In this way a substantially monolithic floor may be obtained in which there is no direct connection between the units and the joists whereby the shrinkage of the joists will not in any way effect the sub-floor formed by the units.

If desired, an additional similar joist designated by the reference character 30 may be introduced between the regularly spaced joists 23, said additional joists running parallel to the joists 23 and disposed directly above the bridging 31 usually provided between joists. This arrangement is for the purpose of adding additional strength to the floor constructed with my improved unit. It is to be understood, however, that this latter arrangement may not be necessary, as the ribs on the units will act in this case as so many small beams and these when properly reinforced should make the unit of sufficient strength to sustain the light loads that may be placed thereon in such structures as dwellings or the like. 'I'he illustration in Figure 6 also shows the manner in which my improved unit may be employed as a ceiling substance, in which case Vit will be necessary to secure the said units in any suitable and desired manner to the under side of the joists.

In the illustration shown in Figure 'l my improved units are employed in the construction of a dividing and non-bearing inside partition. In this case the unit is employed without the backing strip. said units being arranged oppositely to one another with their ribs 20 interlocking into the spaces 26 of its directly oppositely disposed unit. By reason of this, arrangement the spaces 26 will thus form a broken dead air space, thus rendering the partition more soundproof than it would otherwise be in the old system of construction with-lath and plaster.

Figure 'I also illustrates the attachment o! the said units to the metal studs 22 and to the wooden door buck 22 which may be either of wood or metal. It should be noted that in the construction of a partition of this kind with my improved unit all framing studs except those at the door openings are eliminated, thereby eiiecting a saving in materials and labor. In order to secure the units in place when this type of a partition is used, the ribs 20 are cut away adjacent the uppermost edge of the unit as shown at 39 in Figure 8, the body portion of said unit being then secured by any suitable fastening means to the buck 40 provided at the ceiling line. In a similar manner the said units are secured to a buck provided for that purpose at the floor line.

In Figure 9 oi' the drawings the use of my improved unit is illustrated in connection with a wall of a framed structure in which the unit is used for covering one side thereof and the other side of said wall being covered by some other suitable material. In this case it will be noted that the unit having the deeper ribs is used and because of that the bracing 28 may be moved to one side of the studs so as 4to clear the backs of the unit.

A further use for my improved unit is illustrated in Figure 10, in which case the unit 18 may be employed in connection with a concrete floor and/juist construction. The unit 18 is utilized in this case as part of the frame 32 into which the concrete is poured. 'The ribs 20 on the unit 18 act as anchors by means of which the unit is rigidly secured to the concrete so that when the form 32 is removed the said unit 18 will still remain in place forming a nished ceiling with the outer face 19 of the body portion thereof being exposed. When the unit used for this type of construction is made of a sound absorbing material an acoustical value is obtained with this one operation.

In the illustration shown in Figure 11 my improved units are employed in connection with the studs 22 made of steel or the like, said studs being braced by suitable tie rods 28. Because of the smaller size of these rods 28 a unit having a deeper rib may be employed, thereby bringing the backs of any pair of oppositely disposed units closer together and thus reducing the void or air space 27 formed between said oppositely disposed units.

In Figure 12 of the drawings is illustrated the use of my improved unit in bringing about a simple construction at the juncture of a floor level and a vertical Wall. As shown in this iigure a section of my improved unit is disposed on a horizontally disposed ribbon 34 secured to the studs 22, said section being arranged as shown in section in Figure 13 so as to be received between a pair of joists 23. By reason of this arrangement the communication between the space between the floor and ceiling and that of the void 2'7 of the vertical wall is broken, thereby forming a re stop, in that it will prevent fire from traveling up said vertical Wall passing into the space between the floor and ceiling and vica versa.

From this construction it will be apparent that when the units are made up of the desired material with the proper nish given to its face, the wall face on the inside of the building becomes the covering for the stud frame as well as giving the wall a finished surface, both of which is accomplished in a single operation. By applying the trims 36 at the floor and ceiling levels the same may be finished off to give the desired iinished appearance, thus saving in materials as well as labor.

The illustration in Figure 15 shows a completed building, the walls of which were assembled and made up with my improved units. In the assembly of .the front wall illustrated, units of elementary sizes as well as multiples of said size are used. In addition to that there is also shown the use of special shapes to llt in corners and around arches of the structure. The extent or size of each unit is indicated by the dotted diagonal lines l37 dra'wn across them. As shown in this figure the number of unitsis comparatively small, thus resulting in a quick covering of the frame at a considerable saving in both time and labor.

It will thus be seen that my improved unit will be highly eflicient-in carrying out the purpose for which it is intended, as a complete building may be designed so as to employ these units cut to the proper shape at the place of manufacture and then shipped to the job, together with shop drawings showing the various special shapes with markings on the drawings corresponding with similar markings provided on-the units. These units can then be assembled on the frame structure with great speed and a considerable saving in labor and material. The use of this improved unit will in no way dispense with pleasing architectural treatment both on the exterior and interior of the structure, as many variations may be produced all harmonizing with one another.

Another feature of this invention is the construction of a unit as described, which will be light in weight, comparatively large in size and which may be made up of materials or compositions of materials possessing lasting, fire resisting and highly insulating qualities. Whatever material is used the object is always the same, that is, a unit that can be erected quickly by substantially unskilled labor and economically by eliminating the repetition of labor that at the present time enters into the erection of a wall using such materials as wood sheathing, wood siding, wood lath, or metal lath and stucco, lath and plaster, and ordinary wallboard insulating materials and so on. The use of my improved 125 unit for covering a frame structure will also eliminate the usual dirt and rubbish which is always present in the old constructions above enumerated. Also, my improved units will do away with the possibilities of the formation of 130 cracks on the surface of walls and ceilings, which in the old construction is due to the drying and shrinking of materials which must be applied on the job in a wet condition.

It will further be noted that my improved unit 135 will result in a reduction of the large void that now exists between the studs in a frame constructed building. For example, take the standard spacing of studs as 16 on centers with 2 x 4 studs. There will be in such a case with 140 the old construction a large void measuring horizontally between studs approximately 4 x 14" and extending vertically usually the full height of the building. Such a void will act as a large flue, causing the air to circulate therethrough 145 and will consequently have no insulating value and will at the same time form a great re travel hazard.

However, with the use of my improved units this large void between the studs is divided by 15d the ribs onthe back of the unit, which ribs extend inwardly into this large void and by providing the backing on said units the said large void is divided up into a plurality of relatively small non-connected voids. This it will be noted will practically remove the danger of fire travel and when said units are constructed of a fire resisting material it will render the building substantially fireproof.

Another feature of this invention resides in the construction of the unit in such a manner which will adapt it for use for the outside walls, but which will also be highly eilicient in the building of dividing non-load bearing partitions, in which case the said units may be placed back to back with their rib portions disposed in interlocking arrangement, but free from contact with each other. This method will result in a partition which will be free from the drum-like void of the present construction and will greatly add to the soundprooflng qualities of the same. It also eliminates the extra cost involved in the provision of studs in a partition of this character, as the only framing required will be at the outer openings and as explained hereinbefore the said units may be readily attached in place to a strip provided at the floor and ceiling lines. For a load bearing inside partition the units would be used in the same manner as for the outside walls, the same being secured to regularly spaced studs, either on both sides of the stud frame, or on one side only in combination with some other suitable material disposed on the opposite side.

A still further use for my improved unit is in the forming of floors and ceilings in which case the unit should be made of sufliciently strong material and be reinforced so as to sustain light loads. In this case the unit is disposed in such va manner as to span the distances between floor joists which are usually in this type of building spaced 16" on centers. The unit will then answer the purpose of a sub-floor quickly laid and upon which a finished floor of any suitable material, such for example as linoleum, carpeting, cork or rubber tile may be applied. When this unit is applied in the manner hereinabove described, that is by merely resting the units on top of the felt covered joists, the shrinkage of the joists will not in any way effect the sub-floor covering, as the floor is not in any way connected with the joists and therefore will not be effected by the action of the joists.

In addition to the above my improved unit is also very well adapted for covering roof rafters both on flat and sloping roofs, and on top of which a finished roof may be laid. Attention is also directed to the fact that my improved unit may be highly useful and eilicient in reconstructing many of the present old buildings which are buildings of wood framing construction. These buildings could be remodeled with my improved units at a cost much lower than the cost of entirely rebuilding them. Also, it will be noted that the salvage value of my improved units will be comparatively large as the units may be taken down with ver!Y little damage to them as compared with sur" `instructions as wood sheathing and siding, lath and stucco, or lath and plaster.

In the preferred form it is intended to make the units with the body portions and rib portions of the same material; whereas the back covering for the same is to be made of some other material that will lend itself readily to cutting. It is to be understood, however, that the body portions may be made of one material and the rib portions of some other suitable material, such for example as hollow metal, rectangular tubing or channels, the latter then being attached to the body portion and the backing sheet then attached to these metal ribs. This process of assembly and manufacture is all to take place at the point of manufacture, thus resulting in a complete unit when delivered to the job.

It is believed that my invention, its mode /of construction, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated from the foregoing, without further description, and should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes. the structural details are, nevertheless, capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined inthe appended claims.

This application is a continuation in part of application filed by applicant November 17, 1930, for a Building block, said application bearing Serial No. 496,075.y

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. A building unit adapted for use as a covering for stud framed structures, comprising a body portion on one face of which are provided a minimum of five spaced longitudinally disposed ribs, the side edges of said body portion extending beyond the end ribs to form flange portions by means of which the said unit may be secured to the studs and a backing sheet spanning the distance between the end ribs for enclosing the spaces between the rib portions to form a plurality of non-connected dead air spaces.

2. A building unit adapted for use as a covering for stud framed structures, comprising a body portion on one face of which are provided a plurality of spaced longitudinally disposed ribs, the side edges of said body portion extending beyond each of the end ribs to form ange portions by means of which the said unit may be secured to the studs, and a backing sheet disposed over said 120 rib portions so as to span the distance between the two end ribs, whereby the spaces between ribs will be enclosed and out of communication with each other, said backing sheet being of such a material and size as to permit the cutting away of predetermined portions thereof to uncover desired spaces between ribs to permit the disposition and housing therein of a stud or the like.

3. In a wall for stud framed structures, the combination of studs spaced from each other and being substantially two inches wide, and a covering for said wall including a body portion on one face of which are provided spaced ribs longitudinally arranged, the spacing between any pair of ribs being of such a size as to permit the disposition therein of one of said studs, and a backing sheet for said body portion spanning the distance between the end ribs for enclosing the spaces between the rib portion to form a plurality of non-connected dead air spaces. 140

4. In combination, a wall including a plurality of spaced studs securely fastened to each other to provide a framed structure, and means for covering said framed structure comprising a body portion on one face of which are provided a. pluiality of spaced longitudinally disposed ribs, said body portion being provided with flange portions extending beyond each of the end ribs, the width of said anges being equal to substantially onehalf the distance between ribs and the distance between ribs being of such a size as to permit the disposition therein of one oi said studs, and a backing sheet for said body portion spanning the distance between the end ribs for enclosing the spaces between the rib portion to form a plurality of non-connected dead air spaces.

5. In a wall, the combination oi a plurality of spaced studs fastened to each other to provide a framed structure, and means for covering said framed structure comprising a unit having a body portion which is of such .a size as to span the distance between any two studs, said body portion having provided on one face thereof a plurality of spaced ribs longitudinally disposed, the end ribs being spaced inwardly of the longitudinal edges of said body portion to produce end anges by means of which said unit may be secured to the studs, the spacing between any two ribs being of such a size as to permit the housing or disposition therein of one of said studs, and the width of said anges being equal to substantially onehali the distance between ribs, and a backing sheet for said unit spanning the distance between the end ribs for enclosing the spaces between the end portions to form a plurality of nonconnected dead air spaces.

6. In combination, a wall including a plurality of studs arranged in spaced relation to each other thereof with a plurality of longitudinally disposed ribs, and each section being of a size sulficient to span the distance between any two studs so thatall units will be multiples of the elemental section and be adapted for spanning the distances between a plurality of studs, the spacing between any two ribs being of such a size as to permit the disposition or housing therein of one of said studs, and a backing sheet for said unit spanning the distance between the end ribs for enclosing the spaces between the end portions to form a plurality of non-connected dead air spaces.

7. In a wall, the combination of a plurality oi. spaced studs suitably connected to each other to form a framed structure, and means for covering said framed structure on both sides thereof so as to form a hollow wall, said last mentioned means comprising a body portion on one face of which are provided a plurality of spaced longitudinally disposed ribs, the sideedges oi' said 95 body portion extending beyond the end ribs to' form flange portions by means of which the said unit may be secured to the studs, the distance between the ribs being sufficient to permit the reception therein of one edge of said studs, there being a space formed between the front and back units covering the framed structure to provide a dead air' space for said wall, and a backing sheet for said body portion spanning the distance between the end ribs for enclosing the spaces betweenv the rib portion to form a plurality of non-connected dead air spaces.

l FRANK G. TOWICZ. 

